The One He Loved
by Jedadiah Coleman
Summary: A young man makes the hardest decision of his life: being with the one he truly loves or the fate of an entire colony. It is my first so be nice...please R&R. -Peace


It is after colony 279…  
  
  
"We're swinging the Gemini I around and going in to attack the enemy base!" called in Kuazo.   
"No wait Kuazo, it's a trap!" Yasu quickly responded.   
"Don't try to hold me back, Yasu! I'm going to do what I have to!" Kuazo replied.  
"Kuazo, please! Just listen-" Yasu was interrupted by an explosion. He wasn't really sure what happened; he saw the Gemini I plummet to the ground and an explosion went off.   
"KUAZOOO!" he yelled, "NOO!"  
He paused and took a deep breath.  
"Gemini II to base; I'm going in!" he yelled under his breath and swooped his ship down, preparing for the first launch of aircraft missiles.  
"Ten seconds and counting! Ten…nine…eight………one!!" he screamed without patience and fired the missile. He watched in anger as he saw the base explode. But just then, he saw a ship arise from the smoke.  
"An enemy!" he yelled, "Wait! It's…It's…It's Kuazo!"  
"Good going, Gemini II! Now let's head home before we start anything else!" Kuazo yelled in a boastful sort of way.  
"Right," Yasu agreed.  
  
Back on the lunar base, Kuazo was busy repairing the Gemini I. The missile launcher was disabled during the battle on Rizado. Kuazo stood up and looked around at all the other ships of the Alliance. He started to think about why he wanted to join the Alliance in the first place. His father.  
"You did good out there…", said a young girl behind Kuazo's ship.  
"Huh?" Kuazo turned around and saw a young girl standing at the base of his ship.   
"How did you do it? Get out of the explosion?" she asked.  
"Just lucky I guess. Who are you?"  
"Oh…I'm sorry. I'm Kiku Takashi. I'm the daughter of Shiokari Takashi. I am here on duty for Lt. Ezo", she said.  
"You shouldn't hang around him too much. I don't trust him."  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
"Just what I said", Kuazo replied, and continued working on the ship. Kiku got a confused expression on her face.  
"So you are the daughter of the Shiokari Takashi? As in the Alliance's foreign minister?"  
"Yep, that's me", she frowned, "my father is very involved with what he is doing. He's also very upset that Lt. Kun is trying to destroy what has been built of the new colonies."  
"Obviously", Kuazo said sarcastically. "So what do you know about Lt. Ezo?"  
"We studied together, back on Earth. Before I moved to the new colonies, that is. I thought I'd never see him again, and then somehow we met here."  
Kuazo sat silent.  
"Anyways, I have to get back to work. It was nice talking to ya, Kuazo! Maybe I'll see you around again!" she said, disappearing into a door in the west hangar.   
  
"Captain Kuazo, we need you in the control center at once!" said Myrax through the intercom.   
Kuazo rushed down the halls to the control center.  
"We just received a message from Lt. Ezo."  
Great. Thought Kuazo. Just what I need; more crap from Ezo.  
Then the message played on the screen:  
"LaGrange 9 has just been attacked", said Ezo, "identify this ship."   
A picture of an enemy ship came up on the screen.  
"We're on it!" said one of the captains at a computer in the corner.  
"Lt. Kuazo! Get onto that ship! I don't want anything jeopardizing the lives of the people in those colonies."  
"Right!"said Kuazo, putting on his helmet.  
"I'll go, too!" yelled Machiko, catching up with Kuazo.   
"Let's do this!" said Kuazo, as they rushed down the halls toward the launching platform. Kuazo took the Libra I, and Machiko took Libra II, and they headed for the colony clusters in L-9.   
  
"It's one of Kun's alright!" yelled Machiko, as they approached the large ship. Kun appeared on Kuazo's screen:  
"Kuazo, what a pleasant surprise! I was just admiring what your father had built. It's too bad I have to destroy it, and you!" Kun yelled, and shot at Kuazo's ship.  
"Get my back!" Kuazo yelled to Machiko.  
Kuazo swung his ship around.  
"We need backup!" he yelled.   
"Right! We're sending out Taurus I and II, and Yasu's on the way with his gundam!" yelled Myrax.  
Then, what Kuazo thought was Yasu, appeared Ezo in his gundam, the BlackRose.  
"Get out of here while you still can, Kun!" Ezo yelled.  
Just then Yasu appeared in his gundam, the Orphan.  
"I'm not afraid of you and your worthless crew!" Kun yelled furiously, and shot at the gundams. Ezo fired his laser at Kun's ship.  
"Damn!" Kun yelled.  
"His ship's damaged!" said Yasu.  
Just then, Taurus I and II appeared.  
Kun's ship disappeared into space.  
"I've tracked down something…He's sent out enemy troops!" yelled Myrax from the control room.  
"Right, I'm on it. You guys head back to the base! It looks like your ships could use a little repair."   
"But Lt. Ezo, you can't-" said Machiko.  
"Just do it! I can handle these by myself!" he fired.  
So without arguing, everyone headed back to the base.   
  
Later that evening, back at the base, Kuazo was practicing maneuvering his gundam, the Aqua Langrissier. When he went back to the garage, he found someone waiting for him. It was Kiku.  
"I can see what you mean about Ezo", she said, "he's been acting strange lately, and he's been spending a lot of time near the new colonies. And he seems so secretive about everything."  
Kuazo took off his helmet.   
"Can I ask you something?" Kiku said.  
"Anything."  
"Why are you here?"  
Kuazo sighed.  
"I came here about three years ago to try to find my father. I as told that after he left earth he was working as a spy for the Alliance. He also helped build the new colonies. But when I got here, there was no trace of him. It was strange", he explained.  
"What's his name?"  
"Huh?"  
"Your father; what's his name?"  
"Oh…Oogami SinClair."   
"I've never heard of him. What about your mother? Where is she?"  
"She's on Earth. What about yours?"  
"She died when I was very young. I never knew her…"  
"Oh…so what exactly do you do for Lt. Ezo?"  
"I…"  
"What?"  
"I…I don't work for Lt. Ezo. I just lied about working for him. I've been stuck here ever since my father got involved with the Alliance. I'm going to school here. I am training to become a pilot", she said in disappointment.  
"I see." Kuazo started walking towards his room.  
"Where are you going?"  
"I am going to see if I can find any information about Ezo Pankees. I wan to know who he really is."  
"Please, let me come!"  
"Alright, come on."   
  
Later that evening, Kuazo and Kiku were on the computer searching for files on Ezo.  
"Hmm…"  
"What is it?"  
"There seems to be no file for Ezo."  
Kiku sat silently on Kuazo's bed, watching over his shoulder.  
"It says all file have been cleared."  
"Strange…Well, I have to get going to my training class now, Kuazo. Maybe I'll see you again?"  
"Sure."  
"Bye!"  
  
  
Lunar Base, Yasu is on his way to the launching bay…  
"Yasu!" yelled Kuazo, "wait up!"  
Yasu slowed down.  
"Where are you going?"   
"I'm going to go look around the new colonies; see how L-10 is coming along. You wanna go?"  
"Sure!"  
Yasu and Kuazo got in the LastResort, an old ship that was all they could use for free time, hence the name LastResort.  
"So, I noticed you've been spending lots of time with that girl. What's her name?"  
"Kiku?! It's not like that, Yasu!"  
"Just asking", Yasu smirked.  
"So when are you going to be able to take your gundam out to battle?"  
"Soon, I'm just not used to the controls yet."  
"Oh…Hey!"  
"What?"  
"Look-what is one of our captains doing here?"  
Kuazo looked at the ship that appeared on their screen.  
"It's Ezo. I knew he was up to something", Kuazo muttered to himself.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, it seems like I've been the only one to notice that he's almost never at the base. He's always spending his time here. There's not even-"  
"Shh! Wait…"  
Kuazo looked in the direction that Yasu was looking.  
"He's going into L-10."  
"Let's follow him. Don't let us be seen."  
They landed the LastResort a safe distance from Ezo's ship, and got out.  
"Where'd he go?"  
They looked around and Ezo was nowhere to be seen. The all of a sudden, a building not far from them exploded.  
"What the hell was that?" yelled Yasu.  
"I don't know, let's get out of here", said Kuazo.  
They hopped back in the ship and took off. When they were exiting the colony, they looked behind them and saw a chain of explosions in the buildings.  
"Uh-oh!"  
"What?"  
"Look! Someone's sent enemy troops already!"  
"This ship won't last if we don't get out of here now. Let's head back to the base and return in our gundams."  
"Are you sure, Yasu?"  
"They're up to something, and we need to find out what."  
"Alright, but I'm tellin' ya, I'm still a little shaky in my gundam."  
"I'm sure you're alright."  
"Whatever you say!"  
  
When Yasu and Kuazo returned to the lunar base, they went to Shiokari's headquarters to discuss their plans with him. When they got there, they discovered that Ezo was already there.   
"What's going on?" Shiokari asked as he saw Yasu and Kuazo burst into his room.  
"Why don't you ask him?" Kuazo said angrily, pointing at Ezo.  
"Ezo?" Shiokari asked.  
"I don't know what they mean, sir."  
"LaGrange 10 is under attack, and we followed him there, sir!" said Yasu.  
"Face it, jerk! We know you're up to something!" yelled Kuazo.  
"Gentlemen!" Shiokari yelled. "Send out our troops, and then we'll see who's behind all this!"  
They immediately left for the colonies. But when they arrived, there was no one there, just the remains of the few blown-up buildings. They stuck around for a while, to make sure that no one returned, but no one showed up.  
  
Back at the base, Shiokari and Kiku were searching the mainframe computers for any information on Ezo.  
"There's nothing here!" said Shiokari.  
"I know…," said Kiku.  
"What? You knew about this and you didn't tell me?!"  
"Kuazo and I thought Ezo was up to something, so yesterday I hacked into the system and we searched for hours, but we didn't find anything."  
"That's impossible. Ezo's one of my best men! Why would he do something like this?"  
"I don't know, but don't you think he's almost too good of a man?"  
  
  
Meeting room, Shiokari's headquarters…  
"We've called this meeting to discuss a very important matter", echoed Shiokari's loud voice, "What had been built so far of LaGrange 10 is now destroyed. If whoever has done this is still after the colonies or us, he may try to destroy what's left of the colonies! Something must be done!"  
"It's probably Kun and his 'Specials'!" said Robert Quince, the new representative of the World Nation. "He's been getting to us for years by threatening to destroy the new colonies ever since we destroyed his father's evil empire!"  
"Well then, him and his organization need to be demolished, or the lives of millions of civilians on those colonies will be jeopardized!"  
"We've been doing the best we can, sir. But whoever it is seems to be passing right through our surveillance systems", said Myrax.  
"Well then you'll have to do better, lieutenant, because if you don't, our lives will be at risk!"  
  
Meanwhile, Kiku, Kuazo, Yasu, and Machiko were spending their spare time at a nearby downtown colony.  
"So Kuazo, how's your training comin' along?" asked Yasu.  
'Not far from done."  
"What about you, Kiku?"  
"Well, it'll be a while before I can fight with a gundam, but I'm getting there. So Kuazo, have you found any information on Ezo yet?"  
"No."  
"Don't you think it's kind of rude to be sneaking through the files like this? I mean, couldn't we get in trouble for it?"  
"Well, I talked to my father about it, and he didn't object to it. He just said that he couldn't see why Ezo would turn his back on us like this because hi is one of our best men."  
"That's true, but we don't know anything about him. For all we know, he could have nothing to do with this. He could have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time."  
"But we saw him land by that building, Yasu! Right before it exploded!"  
"Well, we didn't actually see him. Anyway, I have some work to do back in my room, so I'm heading back to the base. It was nice spending time with you guys!"  
"Well, I better head back, too. I have some work to do also. Sorry to leave you two alone!"  
"That's alright, Machiko."  
"Bye Yasu! Bye Machiko!"  
"See you guys later!"  
"So Kiku, do you want to go get a shake or something before we head back?"  
"Sure!"  
Kuazo and Kiku walked to the ice cream parlor and found a table for two.   
"Two chocolate shakes, please."  
"Coming right up, sir!"  
"So Kuazo, I was sort of wondering if you could help me with something."  
"Anything."  
"Well, I'm having a little trouble learning the controls in our practice ships, so I was wondering, if you have any free time, you could…"  
"Sure, Kiku."  
And they spent the rest of their afternoon together.  
  
"Captain Kuazo and Captain Yasu, please report to Mr. Shiokari's headquarters, please!" said the intercom voice, and ten repeated it once more.  
"What is it, Shiokari?"  
"Well boys, it seems that I have finally found the files for Ezo Pankees."  
"And…?"  
"And…they seem to be perfectly normal; nothing out of the ordinary. Ezo grew up on Earth, and moved here to go to the Alliance Military Academy. Which, as far as I can remember, is true. And as far as his criminal record goes, he's never done as much as scratched a mobile suit!"  
"Sounds suspicious to me, sir."  
"Well, it's right here, plain and simple; black and white! Go on! Read it yourself!"  
"Uh, no, that's alright. But thanks anyway, Shiokari. You've been a big help!"  
"And thank you for bringing it to my attention."  
  
"Poor guy", said Yasu as he was walking back to his room wit Kuazo, "He's never done so much as a single crime, and we go off and blame him on something like this."  
"It's not over yet, Yasu."  
"What do you mean, Kuazo? Do you know something?"  
"No, I just have a feeling that he does have something to do with these random attacks on the colonies. It just can't be a coincidence!" Kuazo unlocked his door.  
"Kiku? What are you doing here?"  
"Shh! Shut the door! Quick!"  
"What's going on?"  
"Well, I couldn't believe that Ezo didn't have anything to do with this either, so… I got a keycard for his room. I looked all over for clues, but I couldn't find anything. Except this."  
"A disk?"  
"Where'd you find it?"  
"It was in his computer. I was trying to find out what was on it, and I heard someone coming on the elevator, so I grabbed it and ran. Luckily, I don't think anyone saw me."  
"Well, put it in my computer, and let's see what he's up to!"  
"Hmm…"  
"What?"  
"It's just paperwork. Kiku, you better go return thi-"  
"Wait! What's that?"  
"What, this?" Yasu entered something with a strange name.  
"I knew it. I knew he was up to something!"  
"What is it?"  
"They're layout plans."  
"For what?"  
"I'm not sure…all these model names get me confused…"  
"A mobile doll?! Those things haven't been around since the Romefellar Foundation turned on the Alliance!"  
"Should we tell my father?"  
"Probably not for now, Kiku. Just to be safe."  
  
"Mr. Shiokari to the control room, Mr. Shiokari to the control room."  
"What is it captain?" Shiokari boomed, coming through the door.  
"Mr. Shiokari! We just received a threat on one of the colonies in L-9, sir!"  
"I felt this was coming. Who was it from?"  
Just then a face appeared on the receiver screen.  
"Kun!" Shiokari yelled, "What the hell do you want now?"  
"What I've always wanted, Shiokari! The colonies destroyed! As well as you! Come out here and fight Shiokari! This has been going on for years! You know you want to kill me!"  
"Captain! Call in all our pilots immediately! Tell them there is an attack on L-9 and to take the gundams!"  
"Right!" he called all the pilots to the launching bay.  
  
"What's Kun up to this time?" yelled Yasu to Kuazo and Machiko as they rushed down the hallway to the loading dock.  
"I don't know", said Kuazo, "Machiko, take your gundam! It's our strongest defense!"  
"Right, Captain!"  
"This is Kuazo to base: we're on our way!"  
"Hurry Kuazo!"  
  
  
Some where near L-9…  
"Oh, Kuazo, what a surprise! I always end up meeting you here!"  
"Go to hell, Kun!"  
"What is that?" said Machiko.  
"It's a mobile doll! I thought all of those things were wiped out!" said Myrax from the control room.  
"Yasu! That doll looks just like the on in those layouts!"  
"It probably IS the one on those layouts!"  
"Take that Kun!" yelled Yasu as he shot at the mobile doll.  
" You fool! Obviously you under-estimate the power of a mobile doll! They're practically indestructible!"  
"Damn!" yelled Yasu, as he was hit by the mobile doll. He flung back. "I'm hit!"  
"Machiko! What are you doing?"  
"I'm going to get rid of this jerk once and for all! Aaah!" she slammed her gundam against the doll. Then Kun tore the arm right off of Machiko's gundam, like it was a piece of cheap plastic.   
"You rat!" Kun yelled, and shot Machiko's gundam. By now her gundam was badly damaged, and she probably couldn't last much longer.  
"Machiko! Get out of there NOW!" screamed Kuazo.  
"I…can't…"she muttered under her short breaths.  
"She's hurt. Leave her alone!" Yasu yelled, as he shot Kun's mobile doll right from the back. Sparks came throughout his whole ship, and then he jerked his ship away from Machiko's. Then he quickly turned around and shot at Yasu's gundam, leaving his ship as badly damaged as Machiko's.  
'That's not all! I'm not through with you yet!" screamed Kun, and then his ship disappeared into space once again.  
"What a wimp! Every time he gets a blow, he runs off like that!" said Kuazo in disappointment.   
It's not like we could have beat him alone, anyway", said Yasu, and they headed back to the base for some major repairs.   
  
  
Later, Kuazo, Yasu, and Kiku went to visit Machiko in her recovery room. The blast from Kun had broken the bones in her legs.  
"See ya later, Machiko! Hope you're better soon!"  
"Bye Kiku! Bye Yasu! Bye Kiku!"  
The door shut.  
"It's going to be awkward not having Machiko by our side for a while, right Yasu?"  
"It's not forever."  
"So…about Ezo. Should we tell your father Kiku? About that disk? I mean, if we don't, then it could create some huge problems."  
They continued walking down the hall.  
" I don't know Kuazo, but I can tell you one thing."  
"What?"  
'That the last thing my father needs right now is more stress."  
"Well, I don't think we should keep this from him forever."  
"I think we should tell him now, because we know Ezo is helping Kun. We can't have him be fighting for us and him! If it wasn't for him, Machiko wouldn't be in that room with her legs broken!"  
"Okay, I promise I'll talk to him about this soon, then."  
"Thanks, Kiku."  
  
Later that day…   
  
"Father! I've been meaning to talk to you!"  
"Kiku-please! I'm busy!"  
"Father, this is important!"  
"Okay, what is it now, Kiku?"  
"I need to talk to you about Ezo Pankees."  
"What about him?"  
"Kuazo, Yasu, and I found some very important information about him that links to the threats on the new colonies."  
"Kiku, you are full of gibberish! We already found out that Ezo had no part in this!"  
"Father, he designed that mobile that that tried to destroy our gundams!"  
"What?"  
"We found this in his room", she said, handing Shiokari the disk, "look at it yourself!"  
Shiokari got a blank stare on his face.  
"Why? Why would he do this to us/"  
"I'm sorry father, but we need to do something about this because he is destroying us by fighting for us. Think about it; he knows everything about the Alliance military! Our plans! Everything!"  
"Captain!"  
"Yes, sir?"  
"Call Lt. Ezo to my headquarters immediately!"  
"Right!"  
Shiokari sat in a chair in the middle of the room, and Kiku took a spot behind him. Then Ezo walked in the door.  
"Ezo, just the man I wanted to see!"  
"What is it, sir?"  
"I don't know, you tell me lieutenant", Shiokari said calmly, and handed him the disk.  
A million thoughts ran through Ezo's head. Was this the disk he lost? Do they know about him and how he has been helping Kun?  
"We know what you're up to, Ezo!" Kiku yelled crossly.  
Ezo quickly figured out what was happening and pulled a gun out of his pocket.  
"Go ahead and shoot me, Ezo! But everyone knows and you WILL be stopped!"  
"NO!" Ezo yelled with an insane look in his eyes. He held the gun up to the side of the captain's head on the computer. Then he lowered his gun, and shot the man in his side. He fell to the floor bleeding, holding his abdomen. Suddenly, Shiokari pulled two guns out of the pockets of his chair.  
"Drop your weapons, Ezo, and I won't shoot!"  
Ezo slowly started to lower his gun, but then he rapidly rolled to the side and shot at Shiokari, but missed. Shiokari Shot back at him, and hit him twice in the right shoulder. Ezo fell to the ground unconscious.  
"Take him to the recovery room immediately! Make sure he is disarmed and strapped down. And don't let ANYONE in to see him!"  
"Right, sir!"  
And then three men carried Ezo down the hall.   
  
Meanwhile, Kuazo and Yasu were repairing the Orphan and the Aqua Langrissier, their gundams that had been damaged during their quarrel with Kun.  
A lean, tall, middle-aged man in a casual gray uniform started to walk towards Kuazo from the launching platform door.  
"Captain Kuazo, may I speak to you alone please?" said the man, who had a very familiar look to him.   
"Sure. I haven't seen you around much. What's your name?"  
"I'm…not from here, but the information I am about to give you is very important-so listen carefully."  
Kuazo got a puzzled expression on his face.  
"Many years ago. When I was living on Earth, the Alliance was searching for men and women who were willing to secretly involve themselves in a project dealing with the Romefellar Foundation. I decided that I would be good for this because I was willing to fight for Earth. I had nothing on Earth…no family, no home. I moved to the colony cluster in LaGrange 3, where I met and instantly fell in love with a woman. We created two suns together, and at first things were all right, but then it all just seemed to fall apart. She ran off with the children and I never heard from her again. Later, someone told me that she was, in fact, on Earth, and that my two sons were training for the Alliance. I had quit my job by then, and I was going by the name of Lui Grandia. Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that…you have a brother."  
"What?!"  
"…Ezo Pankees is your brother, Kuazo."  
"How do you know?! I've never seen you before in my life! How could you know so much about me?!"  
"I'll leave that for you to figure out, Kuazo," and with that, the man ran towards the launching bay door.   
"Wait! Where are you going? Please! Just…" Kuazo's head sank in disappointment. He was so confused. He didn't have a brother! And Ezo? Of all people! But then, it all came clear to him.  
Why didn't I think of this before? Of course! How could I be so stupid?! That man looked familiar because that man was Oogami SinClair! That man is my father! And Ezo Pankees is my brother! He was telling the truth…  
"But why?" he thought aloud. "And if that was my father, why didn't he just say so?"  
  
  
  
"…and I don't know what happened. I guess a light just turned on in my head, and I realized that that strange man was my father and he was telling the truth…I know it!" Kuazo sat on his bed next to Kiku.  
"So what are you going to do now?" she asked.  
"I don't know. This is just too much for me and I'm so confused."  
They both sat there, staring at the ground with the lights off. Kiku's eyes grew soft in the dark, and she gazed at Kuazo.  
"You can get through this, Kuazo," she said, and took his hand in hers. And they sat there, holding eachother in the dark, until they both fell asleep.  
  
  
Kuazo woke to the intercom voice, which called him into Shiokari's headquarters.  
Was last night a dream? Did all that really happen? Kuazo thought. Kiku as gone, and had probably left a long time ago. He rushed through the doors, down the winding hallways, and around the corners until he finally reached the headquarters. He opened the door and Shiokari, Yasu, and Kiku were seated at the round table patiently waiting for him.  
"Kuazo, good; you're here!" Shiokari boomed.  
Kuazo sat down and Kiku game him a warm smile out of the corner of her eyes.  
"I suppose you are aware of the incident that happened yesterday with Ezo," said Shiokari.  
"Yes, Kiku mentioned it yesterday, and said that he is now in the recovery room, sir."  
"Last night, our guards decided to take a break from watching Ezo's motionless body, so they went down the hall for a quick snack, but when they returned, Ezo was gone."  
"What?! How could he do that?"  
"I don't know. They said the straps were broken like they were thin lines of strings to the person who did it. Did you know anything about this? At all?"  
Kuazo thought for a short moment, and immediately remembered the encounter with his father.  
"Maybe, sir. I was with Yasu. We were repairing our gundams and this strange man came to talk to me, claiming to be my father."  
"Who?"  
"Well…do you remember why I became a pilot here?"  
"To help the Alliance…to fight for what you think is right."  
"Well, yes, but there was another reason. I was searching for my father. And that man I met last night; that was him."  
"Well, Kuazo, I know that may be a big deal for you, but-"  
"Wait! There's more." Kuazo let out a sign of frustration. "Ezo is…my brother…"  
Shiokari looked away. They could tell he was confused, as well as speechless.  
"Do you think that that strange man, who claims to be your father, could have had anything to do with Ezo's escape last night?"  
"Well, to tell you the truth, sir, I don't know. I don't even know the man. If he is what he says he is, then this is the first time I've seen him since my birth. I don't know what kind of a person he is."  
"Did he tell you anything else?"  
"Actually…yes. He said that he worked under the name of Lui Grandia."  
"Lui Grandia…I remember him! Oh, he was a strange man indeed, almost like…Ezo."  
Yasu and Kiku sat completely alert and tuned in.  
"Anyway, captain, just wanted to inform you of his disappearance. Any further news? How is captain Machiko doing?"  
"She's almost healed, sir," Yasu informed him.  
"Good. Well, I guess you are dismissed. I'll call you in if I have any further information." Shiokari arose from his chair and everyone followed him to the door.  
"Thank you Shiokari. Yasu and I should probably get back to repairing our ships. They could use a little more work."  
"…and I have to get to my training class, so I'll see you later, father! Bye everyone!" Kiku said.  
  
  
That day, while Yasu and Kuazo were repairing their ships, Kuazo seemed a bit distracted. He felt as if he was missing something that day, and he knew exactly what it was; he was longing to be with Kiku. He was falling in love with her, and he missed her.  
  
A few days later, Yasu, Kuazo, and Machiko were called into Shiokari's headquarters.  
"Yes, Mr. Shiokari?"  
"I would like you three to investigate the colonies in LaGrange 10. All construction has been temporarily shut down, so there should be no reason for anyone to be there… especially Ezo."  
"Right, sir."  
"And Kuazo; Kiku has requested that she rides with you. You know, for practice of being a co-pilot and all," Shiokari winked at him.  
"Anything you say, sir!" he agreed.  
"Kuazo; you and Kiku take LibraI, and Machiko and I will take the LibraII."  
When they reached LaGrange 10, they landed their ships near some trees by a street for cover. They got out to look around. It was dead silent. There was not a sign of something living anywhere, like a ghost town.   
"Wait a minute! What's that?!" Machiko yelled, pointing to a black box-shaped object in the middle of the street. They walked towards it, and Yasu reached down to pick it up.   
"It's a bomb! Get out of here! RUN!" he screamed, as they fled for shelter under the frame of an unfinished building. Then, from above them, they heard a shrill, cold laugh as the bomb went off.   
Kuazo opened his eyes and he was on the ground. He felt a throbbing pain in his neck, and he couldn't tell if anything else hurt yet.   
I must have been knocked down from the blast, he thought, and what is that pain in my back?  
He stood up, but just when he turned around, a bullet struck him in the leg. He heard that same slinky laugh, and when he struggled to sit up, he saw Kun standing there. He was holding a gun up to Kiku's head.  
"You bastard!" Kuazo yelled in pain.  
"Oh?!" he said, and threw Kiku to her knees. Kun rose the gun to Kuazo's head, and pulled the trigger. Kuazo shut his eyes, and tried to move. He heard yelling and piercing gun shots, and when he opened his eyes, he saw dust all over.   
What happened? He thought, am I dead?  
He sat there with thoughts of death running through his head. But then he saw a figure walk towards him in the dust and smoke. He squinted hard and stared.  
"Yasu!" he yelled, and Yasu ran over to him.  
"Are you alright, Kuazo?!" he said  
"Yes, but…where's Kiku? Is she alright? And Machiko?"  
"They're right over there," he said, and pointed out of the building. Kuazo saw Kiku and Machiko sitting on a bench, watching him. Yasu helped him up, and he limped over to them. As he was walking, he noticed the bloody remains of a body on the dusty ground. It was Kun.  
"Is he…?"  
"Yes…"  
Kuazo turned away and smiled at Kiku, and then collapsed.  
"Let's get out of here," said Machiko, and they carried off Kuazo and headed off to the base.  
Kuazo awoke to a sweet, gentle voice. He raised his head and saw that he was in a recovery room and he had a healing accelerator on his leg, which is what the doctors had used on Machiko when she broke her knees. He heard the voice again. He turned his head to his right, and saw a hazy vision of Kiku, next to him, holding his hand. Then he fell back into a deep sleep.   
"Doctor Philips; when will he recover?" Kiku asked.  
"The healing accelerator will probably need to be on for another day at least, and he will have to rest a while because he got his spine bent out of shape, which would be a matter of days," he replied.  
Well then, I'll stay with him 'til then, she thought, and laid her head on his chest. Outside the room, Shiokari was closely monitoring Kiku and Kuazo through the window.  
The doctor stepped out.   
"She's been like that for hours," he said.  
"That's alright," Shiokari said, "she's in love with him." And he turned and left.  
  
  
A few days later…  
"It's glad to see you're better, Kuazo!" said Machiko, standing in Kuazo's door. Kiku and Kuazo were snuggled together on the bed, and Yasu was at the computer.   
"Thanks Machiko. It's good to be back to normal; here with you guys and all," he replied.  
"Do you want to go on a walk, Kuazo? Just around here?" asked Kiku.  
"Sure."  
So they walked around, not really talking, and by the time they got back, Yasu and Machiko were gone. They walked over and sat on the bed together, once again.  
"Kiku?"  
"Yes?"  
"I just want you to know that…" he sighed.  
"I love you, too, Kuazo," she interrupted him.  
They gazed into each other's sparkling eyes, leaned toward each other, and kept staring. Their eyes shut, and their lips touched. It happened slowly, but so fast at the same time. For once, everything else was taken off of their minds, like all their worries were over, and everything was so blissful. They held each other, and once again, they fell into a deep, dreamy sleep in each other's arms.  
  
  
They were awakened by the intercom voice. It must have been midnight, or later, when they called.   
"All captains report to the control room immediately!"  
Kuazo and Kiku arose quickly, looking at each other, knowing that something was wrong. They hurried down the cold halls, being followed by the rest of the captains.  
"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Kuazo impatiently, looking at Shiokari.  
"It's Ezo. We tracked his ship heading to the colonies, and he's heavily armed. We don't know what the hell he's up to yet, but we need to get down there now and find out!"  
"Right," Kuazo said, heading for the launching platform. He was being followed by Kiku.  
"Be careful, Kuazo," she said, gaining his attention.  
"I will…" he said, and turned to kiss her, bringing that warm sensation back.  
"Goodbye…" she yelled, as she watched Kuazo climb into his ship, not looking back at her. Kuazo met up with Yasu, Machiko, and the others at colony L-9.  
They waited, but they couldn't see anything around.  
"Look out!" yelled Myrax from the base, and suddenly they were shot at.  
"It's Ezo!" yelled a captain.  
"Where is my brother?!" yelled Ezo, in a crazy frustration.  
"I am here!" yelled Kuazo, forwarding his gundam from the rest of them.  
"I know about you, Ezo, we all do, and what you are doing is WRONG! Why would you want to destroy everything our father worked so hard to build?"  
"You wouldn't understand, Kuazo. I will never call that man my father, as I will never call you my brother!" Ezo said irritatedly.   
"Just calm down, Ezo! We can work this whole thing out!"  
"No, we can't!"  
Kuazo got closer.  
"Get away, Kuazo! I'm warning you! Don't come near me! With the touch of this button, the colonies will finally be destroyed, as well as the lunar base…and Machiko…and Yasu…and everything…including Kiku! If you come any closer, I will destroy it all! Everything! And all that's left will be your guilt!"  
"Stop, Ezo! You don't know what you're doing!" He came closer.  
"Kuazo! I don't want to have to do this! But I will if I have to!" he reached for the button.  
"Kuazo, do something!" yelled Yasu.  
"Yasu, you don't seem to understand his power! We couldn't possibly take him down, even with all of us!" Machiko said.  
"Stop! You're crazy! Don't take out your anger on these innocent people, Ezo! They don't deserve to die!" yelled Kuazo, now circling Ezo.  
"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you? Mr. Perfect! I'm sorry, but I'm going to do it, Kuazo! Finally I will get revenge and I will NEVER have to worry about anything else!" he said, circling Kuazo, and starting to activate the bombs.  
"Kuazo to base…"  
"We're here!" replied Myrax.  
"Myrax---tell Kiku that…that no matter what happens, I will always love her."  
"Right."  
"Kuazo?! What are you doing?!" demanded Yasu.  
"Sorry Yasu, I have to do this. You are the best friend I ever had; you should understand. It's the only way to defeat Ezo forever, and if I don't do anything now…" he said, solemnly, but proudly.  
"Goodbye," he whispered, "I love you Kiku…"  
And as he said that, he reached for a button above his head.  
In the control room, everyone gathered around, watching, as a huge explosion showed on the screen.  
"Kuazo, NO!" Machiko yelled from her gundam, but it was too late.  
"He self-destructed…" muttered Myrax.  
"For us…" said Shiokari, " for the colonies…we are finally safe."  
Kiku sat, speechless, staring at the smoky screen. She felt a sudden burn coming from her heart, and tears rushed down her face as she sat still. She suddenly rose from her chair, running and pushing through the swarm of people. She kept running, and running, until finally she got to Kuazo's room. She burst through the door, and threw herself onto Kuazo's bed, crying.  
"Kuazo…" She weeped, "I love you, too…"  
She reminisced all the good times they had had together, and how much she loved him and would miss him. How could he do this to me? She thought. But deep inside, Kiku knew that Kuazo was doing the right thing. He saved the lives of millions of people, including her; the one he loved.  
  
  
  
  



End file.
